Folk metal has long been one of my favorite sounds in the vast spectrum of metal for all that it can bring to the table with real magic flowing within the very foundations of the style, but not enough do we see bands actually tap into that vein to really show us what's to be had with such a fantastical sound. I have never been shy about my unfortunate jadedness for folk metal, but there are always a few reliable bastions of quality that I can almost always return to and know damn well that folk metal will be given extreme justice. Pound for pound, Furor Gallico has been a viciously consistent stream whose waters I've quenched my thirst for quality folk metal for some time now, and with the arrival of their newest effort, it is time for me to drown myself yet again.
Coming off such a spectacle like what Furor Gallico gave us with "Dusk of the Ages", it's always a terrifying thought that such a peak potentially being all there is to such an act with those very thoughts plaguing the mind when new material is announced. Luckily for us, however, Furor Gallico is as dependable and powerful as the old magic itself, for it is with their fourth album, "Future to Come", that the Italian act has crafted another work of folk metal that 2024 can boast in earnest. A continuation in the ongoing evolution of their sound that involved more than a little bit of death metal to give their particular brand of folk an exceedingly strong kick that is hard to deny, "Future to Come" is downright enchanting as the record takes us through different scenarios of redemption in realms physical and spiritual to show us how trials of life all serve a purpose in a greater cycle that may be lost to us, but shepherds like Furor Gallico are all too eager to show us the way. Woven by terrific melodies and more than enough of that old world instrumentation to really bring the album to life in a way that folk metal can only ever accomplish, it is beyond satisfying to see Furor Gallico live up to the potential that both their sound and they have had for several years now. To witness this return is to see folk metal be given the justice that is has always deserved.
It is already this year that folk metal has been given more than enough to sate one's thirst for that magic we seldom get thanks to the likes of Albion and Hand of Kalliach already demonstrated their own approaches to fantastic effect, and now it is time for Furor Gallico to yet again bask in the limelight within the dense forest which they hold complete dominion over. For all that's brought to the table within "Future to Come", it's clear that Furor Gallico did not see failure as any possible option.
"Future to Come" releases on March 22nd via Scarlet Records!
LISTEN to an advanced track from "Future to Come" on Bandcamp here, or via YouTube below.
LIKE Furor Gallico on Facebook here.
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